Doll limb construction

ABSTRACT

Each limb of a doll includes a hip member removably secured to the torso for individual swiveling movement about an axis parallel to the doll body long dimension. A buttock and thigh member is pivotably secured to each hip member for adjustive rotation about a transverse axis. As a result of the segmented construction of the doll limbs and lower trunk, each leg can be adjustably pivoted about two axes to provide the doll with any desired limb pose.

United States Patent Morita [54] DOLL LIMB CONSTRUCTION [72] Inventor: Carl Aklra Morita, Oahu, Hawaii [7 3] Assignee: Waimanalo Research Laboratory,

Waimanalo, Hawaii [22] Filed: May 7, 1970 [2|] Appl. No.: 35,408

[52] U.S. Cl ..46/l6l, 46/163 [51 Int. Cl. ..A63h 3/46 [58] Field ofSearch ..46/l6l, 163, I73

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,108,927 2/1938 Rice ..46/l6l X [451 Mar. 28, 1972 3,254,442 6/1966 Ostrander ..46/l6l 3,009,28411/1961 Ryan ..46/l73X Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Attorney-Thomas H. Jones and Kendrick and Subkow [5 7] ABSTRACT Each limb of a doll includes a hip member removably secured to the torso for individual swiveling movement about an axis parallel to the doll body long dimension. A buttock and thigh member is pivotably secured to each hip member for adjustive rotation about a transverse axis. As a result of the segmented construction of the doll limbs and lower trunk, each leg can be adjustably pivoted about two axes to provide the doll with any desired limb pose.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented March 28, 1972 3,651,599

INVENTOR 0424 A. MOE/f4 The present invention relates generally to a doll construction, and, more particularly, to a doll limb construction providing considerable latitude in adjustable positioning of the limbs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The recreational appeal of a doll to children is, to a major extent, dependent upon the ability of the doll to be adjusted to assume many different postures and aspects. In particular, manipulability of the doll legs in many different directions and relative positions is especially desirable.

It is, therefore, a primary object and aim of the present invention'to provide a pair of limb members of segmented construction. The limbs can be articulated individually to any of a number of various orientations relative to the doll torso and relative to each other, thereby permitting emulation of human poses and bodily attitudes. More particularly, it is an important feature of this invention to provide an improved segmented doll limb, the various segments being removably assembled together and individually adjustable. The different limb parts are readily manufactured in large quantities by plastic molding techniques.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Through the practice of the invention a doll is provided with legs and hip portions of the torso being individually positionable throughout a wide range of poses and aspects. Each leg includes a hip member removably secured to the torso for individual pivotable motion about an axis generally parallel to the doll body long dimension. A buttock and thigh member is pivotably affixed to each hip member for rotation relative thereto about a transverse axis. By virtue of the multi-patt segmented construction of the doll legs and lower trunk, not only can each leg be separately located at any desired position in a plane passing longitudinally through the doll body, but also the lower trunk portion and associated thigh and leg can be swiveled generally about the body long dimension as an axis.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view of a doll including the segmented lower,

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. I, a doll I0, constructed in accordance with a preferred form of the present invention, is seen to include an upper body 11, hip segments 12 and 13, and leg and buttock segments 14 and 15. The upper body 11 can be of any desired conventional construction only specially requiring means for accommodating the hip segments 12 and 13 as will be described herein.

Turning to FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper body 11 has been depicted as hollow for purposes of description, it being understood that optionally the body can be constructed in any other known manner such as solid, for example. The lower wall 16 is seen to be essentially flat and extends substantially horizontally. A pair of conical orifices 17 and 18, large opening directed outwardly, are defined in the wall 16 for accommodating similarly dimensioned parts of the hip segments 12 and 13, as will be described.

Still referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the hip segments 12 and 13 each include at their upper end conical projections 19 and 20, respectively, for fitting receipt within the orifices l7 and 18. The projections terminate in slightly enlarged flanges 21 and 22, which serve to retain the segments within the orifices.

A More particularly, during assembly the oversize ends 21 and 22 are temporarily deformed on passing through the openings 17 and 18, and snap out into retaining position when fully seated. The surface regions surrounding each projection are substantially flat for mating against the lower surface of 16. The outwardly directed surface of the hip segments are contoured to the general appearance of a human hip.

Comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower surface 23 of each hip segment is generally circularly curved for accommodating a correspondingly curved surface 24 of the leg segments l4, l5. Acircular cutout portion 25 is formed in the hip segment inner surface for receiving an appropriately dimensioned part 26 of the leg upper end. A taperedopening 27, terminating in an enlarged cavity at its inner end is formed in the cutout portion wall. It is to be noted-that the opening 27 lies under the corresponding orifice 17, with the axes thereof at substantially The generally L-shaped upper end of the leg segments 14, 15, formed by the surface 23 and portion 26, also includes a tapered projection 28 with enlarged flange 29 similar to the projection 19 of the hip segment. On assembling the leg and hip segments, the projection 28 is pressed into place within the opening 27 which brings the surfaces 23 and 24 immediately adjacent one another, as well as positioning the flat surfaces of the part 26 surrounding the projection in face contact with the corresponding surface portions of the hip segment.

As seen best in FIG. 2, the upper portions of the leg segment includes the buttock 30 which is smoothly tapered into the hip region of the hip segment.

In adjusting the doll to different poses, it is seen that there are four separate and individual adjustments made possible through the construction of this invention. Each leg segment l4, 15 may be pivoted about its associated projection as an axis to any desired pose. Also, each hip segment may be rotated about its projection 19, thereby swinging the buttock and hip about the body long dimension as an axis.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative form of the invention. In this version, the hip segment includes a curved cutout portion 31 which faces outwardly as contrasted with the inwardly directed cutout 25 of FIG. 3. correspondingly, the leg segment upper end forms part of the outer leg and hip region surface with its projection 32 facing inwardly toward the other leg.

There is provided in accordance with this invention, a doll with leg and lower trunk construction permitting posing in a large variety of different aspects. Each leg is individually adjustable about two axes: one generally parallel to the body long dimension; and a second transverse of the first. By virtue of this considerable flexibility in posturing of the doll, the enjoyment by a child is correspondingly enhanced.

What is claimed is:

l. A limb construction detachably affixed to a doll body, the improvement comprising:

first and second limb segments pivotally connected to said doll body for independent posing adjustment about a first axis parallel to the body long dimension and a second axis transverse to said first axis.

2 A limb construction as in claim 1, in which the second axis is generally aligned with the hip region of the limb.

3. A limb construction for being detachably secured to a surface defining the lower midriff portion of a doll body, said surface including a pair of tapered openings generally axially parallel to the body long dimension, comprising:

a hip member with a conforming projection received within a body opening, said member having walls defining a cutout portion with an opening generally transverse of the doll body openings formed in said cutout portion wall; and

a leg member having an upper end formed for fitting receipt within the cutout portion of the hip member, the wall of said upper end being formed into a conforming projection to be pivotally received within the hip member opening.

4. A doll limb construction as in claim 3, in which the hip member has its outwardly directed surface contoured as a human hip, and the leg member upper end has an outwardly directed surface generally buttock shaped, said hip and leg members having their respective outer surfaces contoured to give an appearance of a single anatomical structure for all relative positions of said members obtained by pivoting about said projections.

5. A limb construction as in claim 3, in which the projections are constructed of a resilient material and terminate in enlarged end portions; the openings in the doll body bottoming in enlarged cavities and being of such depth and cross section relative to the projection received therein that the projection enlarged end portions are compressed on passing through the openings and reside in the respective cavities in assembly.

6. A doll construction comprising:

an upper body having two downwardly directed orifices;

a pair of first limb segments, each having the external con tour of the hip region of a human and including a projection member for being pivotally received within one of said downwardly directed orifices;

an opening in each of said first limb segments extending transversely of the long body dimension; and

a pair of second limb segments, each including a projection for being pivotally received in one of the said openings in said first limb segments.

7. The doll construction of claim 6 wherein said orifices are conically tapered and said projection members are conically tapered for mating engagement with said orifices.

8. The doll construction of claim 6 wherein each of said first limb segments has a circular cutout portion on its inner side, and each of said second limb segments has an upwardly extending portion which extends into said cutout portion for mating engagement therewith with the said projections carried by said second limb segments extending outwardly from said upwardly extending portions and engaging said transversely extending openings in said first limb segments.

9. The doll construction of claim 7 wherein each of said first limb segments has a downwardly extending portion on its inner side, and each of said second limb segments has a cutout portion on its inner side which is contoured for mating engagement with said downwardly extending portion, said projections carried by said second limb segments being directed inwardly for engagement with said transversely extending openings in said first limb segments.

10. A doll construction comprising:

an upper body having a lower portion extending transversely of the body long dimension;

a pair of hip members, each being pivotally secured to said lower portion; and

a pair of leg members, each being pivotally secured to a hip member for rotation in the direction of the body long dimension, whereby each of said hip members may be individually swiveled with respect to said upper body and each of said leg members may be rotated with respect to the hip member to which it is secured. 

1. A limb construction detachably affixed to a doll body, the improvement comprising: first and second limb segments pivotally connected to said doll body for independent posing adjustment about a first axis parallel to the body long dimension and a second axis transverse to said first axis.
 2. A limb construction as in claim 1, in which the second Axis is generally aligned with the hip region of the limb.
 3. A limb construction for being detachably secured to a surface defining the lower midriff portion of a doll body, said surface including a pair of tapered openings generally axially parallel to the body long dimension, comprising: a hip member with a conforming projection received within a body opening, said member having walls defining a cutout portion with an opening generally transverse of the doll body openings formed in said cutout portion wall; and a leg member having an upper end formed for fitting receipt within the cutout portion of the hip member, the wall of said upper end being formed into a conforming projection to be pivotally received within the hip member opening.
 4. A doll limb construction as in claim 3, in which the hip member has its outwardly directed surface contoured as a human hip, and the leg member upper end has an outwardly directed surface generally buttock shaped, said hip and leg members having their respective outer surfaces contoured to give an appearance of a single anatomical structure for all relative positions of said members obtained by pivoting about said projections.
 5. A limb construction as in claim 3, in which the projections are constructed of a resilient material and terminate in enlarged end portions; the openings in the doll body bottoming in enlarged cavities and being of such depth and cross section relative to the projection received therein that the projection enlarged end portions are compressed on passing through the openings and reside in the respective cavities in assembly.
 6. A doll construction comprising: an upper body having two downwardly directed orifices; a pair of first limb segments, each having the external contour of the hip region of a human and including a projection member for being pivotally received within one of said downwardly directed orifices; an opening in each of said first limb segments extending transversely of the long body dimension; and a pair of second limb segments, each including a projection for being pivotally received in one of the said openings in said first limb segments.
 7. The doll construction of claim 6 wherein said orifices are conically tapered and said projection members are conically tapered for mating engagement with said orifices.
 8. The doll construction of claim 6 wherein each of said first limb segments has a circular cutout portion on its inner side, and each of said second limb segments has an upwardly extending portion which extends into said cutout portion for mating engagement therewith with the said projections carried by said second limb segments extending outwardly from said upwardly extending portions and engaging said transversely extending openings in said first limb segments.
 9. The doll construction of claim 7 wherein each of said first limb segments has a downwardly extending portion on its inner side, and each of said second limb segments has a cutout portion on its inner side which is contoured for mating engagement with said downwardly extending portion, said projections carried by said second limb segments being directed inwardly for engagement with said transversely extending openings in said first limb segments.
 10. A doll construction comprising: an upper body having a lower portion extending transversely of the body long dimension; a pair of hip members, each being pivotally secured to said lower portion; and a pair of leg members, each being pivotally secured to a hip member for rotation in the direction of the body long dimension, whereby each of said hip members may be individually swiveled with respect to said upper body and each of said leg members may be rotated with respect to the hip member to which it is secured. 